Drachslovat
Drachslovat Drachslovat is the second largest kingdom in Stravos, and home to one of the most prominent Old Kingdom bloodlines, the Von Dragas. Set in the northern, mountainous regions of Stravos, Drachslovat names each of its dedicated citizenry, Children of the Sky. This name refers to the incredible height of the summit leading to the main castle and town that is covered by fog and clouds, separating the Sky Castle from the towns and villages below in the valleys. The network of villages and towns in the lower half of Drachslovat, known as the Divide, house mostly humans and humanoid creatures, with the exception of foreign short-term visitors. The Drachslovian economy is highly prosperous due to the kingdom's resource-rich mountains, as well their hunting trade due to the wild life unique to their regions. Drachslovat has long since been part of the Stravosi Triumvirate alongside Eilephyr and Musumar. Geography Drachslovat is a highly mountainous and prosperous region. Most of the Divide is made up of towns and villages built into cliffsides, valleys, deep inside caves, and on high plateaus. The Sky Castle lies at the uppermost part of the region at the summit of the tallest mountain. The non-mountainous areas are green and lush with wild life, unique flora and fauna, and scattered veins of valuable ore, all monitored by the Dragonforged and the Childrens of the Sky that work on such resource plots. Government Drachslovat is ruled and regulated by a patrilineal, semi-tribal monarchy. The Lord of the Sky, Fulgram Morius von Draga, comes from a long and pure human bloodline, though legends exist of him being the carrier of a powerful draonic-blood, originating from the Age of Draak. His wife and Lady of the Sky, Ellerona Pieszkepler von Draga, hails from the Divide. The sovereign monarchy rules over most of the Drachslovian government, though a council of educated leaders and trained generals exists to help the Lord and Lady carry out their decrees. The council, known as the Crown of Triumph, is lead by eleven members. The membership is as follows: three elected warriors (each a General or higher rank of militia), three elected political officials (scribes and scholars well-educated in the history and present state of Stravos), an elected elder of Drachslovat (usually from the royal family), the Goldkeeper, an elected representative of citizenry, the High Priest of the Holy Church of the Six, and finally an arcane representative from the Guild of Furies. Law and Order The Dragonforged military serve as the local police force as well as the members of Drachslovat's national army. In addition to capturing criminals, its members settled petty disputes, gave directions, summoned medical and priestly aid, and other general policing duties to maintain the order of the sovereign. The many sub-sections of the military force spread across the Divide are lead by appointed military commanders, denoted by the Draakus pre-fix (e.g. - Draakus Rentus Gorian = Commander Rentus Gorian). The Draakus must be elected by the people of the particular region of Drachslovat, must be of-age for active military duty, must exhibit exemplary or heroic service to the kingdom and its people, and above all, a Draakus must be anointed by the Lord and Lady of the Sky in the Holy Church of the Six located in the capital, Uldraak. Crime Drachslovat is no stranger to criminal activity. In fact, Drachslovat has suffered more from its criminal culture than the other two kingdoms in the Triumvirate. This is a result of laws in Drachslovat being less strict than those of Eilephyr, while being more strict than those of the self-proclaimed "Free Kingdom," Musumar. Dragonforged warriors have been known to take criminal matters into their own hands, often resulting in one of two less-than-lawful options: the unauthorized execution of an accused criminal/deviant, or the turning of a blind-eye. Most Drachslovians will turn a blind-eye to criminal activity if it does not seem corrosive to the structure of societal living. An act of petty theft could be considered noncorrosive, unless the theft in question brought great harm to others as a result. There are many grey areas and blurred lines due to the sovereign living so far above the Divide, but for the most part the law is upheld by the trusted Draakus and the Drachslovian community itself. Despite its best efforts to remain a nation that adheres to law, there have been rumors of the infamous Hands of Lazarus having a base in the mountainous regions of Drachslovat. Other violent and cultic factions have been known to base themselves along the Dracho-Eilephesian border and closer to the forbidden northern region of the Farlands. The farther from the capital one gets, the more likely they are to see Drachslovian security dwindle or become otherwise corrupted. Possibly the worst crime Drachslovat experiences daily is caused by the disagreements and mishandling between Drachslovians and the likes of Eilephesians, mages, and non-humanoid races, with the exception of Dragonborn. Trade After the land had been divided among the founders of the Triumvirate at the end of the Age of Draak, Drachslovat's ancestors made quick work of building their castle high among the clouds. Originally, the Divide existed solely to provide resources and minerals to the Sky Castle. once most of the area had been cleared of most mineral resources and the castle had been built, at around 200 F.D. the Drachslovian builders began scouting the Divide for its ability to sustain life. The Divide turned out to be an incredible means of sustaining life. The Lord of the Sky knew that to acquire more resources and to sustain their workers, they needed to build them homes, and thus, by 400-500 F.D. the majority of the Divide had been civilized and fortified by the sovereign powers. After fortification of their own laborers and citizens, Drachslovat continued to expand to a degree that attracted the attention of the surrounding kingdoms, Eilephyr in particular. In the times of the Old Kingdoms, Drachslovat had agreed to be a primary source of mineral resources for the other members of the Triumvirate, who at the time were both allies. The Lord and Lady of the Sky envied the lush greenery contained by Eilephyr's territory and their overabundance of mineral resources allowed them to make generous trades. By 657 F.D. Drachslovat, Eilephyr, and Musumar all came to trade agreements and the three nations lived prosperously without much meddling in each other's politics. At the dawning of the New Kingdoms, the elves of Aldradia Sol aimed to expand with the arrival of elven ambassadors who sailed to Stravos from the elven homeland. A sudden shift in territorial boundaries occurred between 720-800 F.D. and heavily affected Drachslovat's relationships with the other nations and its place in the world of trade. Eventually, Drachslovat limited its range of trade and had to reinvent trade routes to accommodate the new elven presence. Eilephyr and Musumar still participate heavily in trade with Drachslovat. Defenses Most of Drachslovat's protection comes from that of the unified policing militia known as the Dragonforged. The soldiers in the Dragonforged consist of mostly Drachslovian natives, with the exception of dedicated and trusted individuals from other nations. Some staple traits Dragonforged members include: absolute adherence to Drachslovian authorities, devotion to the causes and goals of the nation despite personal views, and religious respect for the Six. The tall mountains make up a significant part of the kingdom's environmental defenses, covering them the dangers of the coasts, separating them from the likes of the wild tribes of the Farlands, and covering a portion of the nation's border with Eilephyr. The walls of the major cities are well-fortified considering the abundance of resources like stone and metal. The outer gates and homes are mostly built from wood and stone. Besides the manmade constructs and the environmental protection, the Drachslovian finds itself protected in a larger part by the citizenry. Drachslovian citizens and adventurers are often more than willing to defend the cities, and the entire nation if need be. Mulach Draak's position upon the summit of a mountain makes it a difficult target for military attacks, although precautions have been made against magical attacks. Though the royal family is wary of mages due to their role in the destruction of their gods, the Draak, they have magical ambassadors, sometimes from among their own citizens trained in the arcane arts in order to use their abilities to protect the nation and help achieve its goals. These magical protectors are loosely referred to as "Paragons," in reference to their outstanding example of the "ideal mage" as that lifestyle relates to the religion of the Order of the Six. Paragons are held to high standards if they wish to work within Drachslovat, but the benefits to such a life could be considered appropriate compensation. It has also been rumored that a Sleeping Dragon exists deep in the stony peaks of Drachslovat. A semi-intelligent dragon that served as a lieutenant beneath one of the Draak. The rumored Sleeping Dragon also has a hidden army of wyverns and drakes lying in wait that, according to legends are fed by Drachslovian elders and are tamed by the hands of the Lord and Lady of the Sky. Ironically, there has never been a legitimate dragon sighting in decades despite what many Drachslovian gossipers have spread. History Vys Draakus, the Origin of Old Though Eilephyr took the center of Stravos as their primary territory during the formation of the Triumvirate, Drachslovat is regarded as the Origin Point for the Old Kingdoms. The forefathers of the Drachslovian kingdom were regarded as some of the most devout and loyal worshippers of the Draak, so much so that after being freed from their rule they made every effort to create an entire pantheon inspired by their "divine masters." The entirety of the nation, including its emblem, its army, its structures and factions, and the name of the ancient family that rules it, have names inspired by the Draak. Documents regarding the past accounts of Drachslovian elders were written during the industrialization of Drachslovat. The compiled stories and experiences made several religious texts that all exist in a single collection, the Draakus Podas. There are six books in total, all filled with organized stories from the oral and stone-carved accounts recovered from the nation's past. In all of the accounts there exists a single man who rose up among the original population of men that took up residence in Drachslovat. A man regarded as the Vys Draakin, or High Dragon King. Several names have been recorded for such a man, but the only agreed upon "facts" of the story are that the man was called the High Dragon King and that he was the ancestor of the Von Draga bloodline. At the time, the original kingdom consisted of those men who considered themselves trusted followers of the Draak. This section of the overall Stravosi population was inherently more humanoid, since the elves had their own views of the Draak and the dragons. Despite how beneficial a relationship with the dwarves would have been in the long run, the first members of the Drachslovian nation heavily rejected the idea of ever associating with the dwarves. They considered them to be heretics and tyrants because of the rebellion they fueled. Above all else though, Drachslovat's original members absolutely despised mages and their connection to the arcane, sparking more rebellions to follow. The Von Dragas (500~800 F.D.) Drachslovat is said to have been ruled by members of the same, pure, bloodline for centuries. By 500 F.D., the name Von Draga echoed across the mountains and the monarchy was lead into the age of new, where the Old Kingdoms struggle to prove dominion over the New Kingdoms. The Von Dragas were educated in the ways of the world, beyond their religion. They understood that in order for the kingdom to survive as a member of the Triumvirate, they needed to incorporate guild diversity and take part in world trade to a significant degree. Under their rule, Drachslovat moved from a kingdom built on old traditions and divinity, to a kingdom of known for its warriors and weaponry. Notable Locations The Summit (Mulach Draak) Mulach Draak Shops: Whisperworth, Forge of Svir, Veldrod's Very General Shoppe, Inns/Taverns: The Curdled Cloud, The Flagon Dragon, Horme's Haven, Main Buildings: The Holy Church of the Six, The Sky Castle, Chamber of Champions The Divide (Sgarad) Beinnistadt Shops: Inns/Taverns: Main Buildings: Sgaradlae Shops: Inns/Taverns: Main Buildings: Kamenstrad Shops: Inns/Taverns: Main Buildings: Roengal Shops: Inns/Taverns: Main Buildings: Inhabitants Guilds Guild of Furies, Golden Gauntlet Trials, Feathered Fawns Nobility Von Dragas and their heirs, the Crown of Triumph members by name Merchants General info on merchant class, which is merged with laboring/working class. A lot of miners, jewelers, smithies. Adventurers The Summit is uncommon for random adventurers unless specifically seeking the attention of the royalty. The Divide is common ground for adventurers considering Drachslovat's heavy influence on mineral and weapon trade, as well as the nation's wildlife. There are a few notable adventurers concerned with Drachslovat. The most legendary of the adventurers, Annatis Holiere, became the acting right-hand to the Von Draga family and served for years before their eventual disappearance during a small-scale war of politics with Aldradia Sol and Eilephyr over territory. Rumors circulate of Draakus Holiere's involvement as a double-agent for both Eilephyr and Drachslovat during negotiations. Because of this Annatis stands through history as the only foreigner to gain as much fame and infamy as they did in Drachslovat, and the inhabitants of Mulach Draak are defensive against outsiders. Culture General culture info. Racism. Inability to accept outsiders or monster races. Disgust towards elves and mages. Idolization of the uncommon Dragonborn race. Fashion Nordic, tribal. Dark colors, face paints, braids, tribal piercings, natural hair colors, women are very bold and sometimes show more of their body unless they are warriors. Religion Church of the Six, historical artifacts of the Age of Draak, Drakeblooded warriors, pilgrimages. Festivals and Holidays Festivals dedicated to food and harvest, earthen resources and prosperity, Nordic festivals and holidays, Christmas-like stuff, festivals related to the Draak, ceremonies for coronation of council members. Transportation Carriages Royal Caravans Owlbears, Horses